Party
of Five: Little
did Andalas the Adorable know when he was born at the Cincinnati Zoo
that a long journey to an exotic location was in his future. In early
2007, he was transferred from the U.S. to the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary
(SRS) located in Way Kambas National Park on the island of Sumatra in
Indonesia. The first Sumatran rhino born in captivity in 112 years,
Anadalas officially reached sexual maturity sometime in early 2008,
and over the next few years, he will become the big breeding man on
campus at the SRS. He is spending time with Ratu, described as a young-but-presumably-experienced
female, and gradually being introduced to Bina. In the meantime, an
older laid back male–Torgamba–is mixing with Rosa and “teaching” her
how to breed with a male rhino. If this sounds a little like the plot
of a daytime drama for pachyderms, it is serious business for the international
partners working with one of the most endangered mammals on Earth.
No more than 200
Sumatran rhinos survive in small, isolated forest fragments in Indonesia
and Malaysia. The International Rhino Foundation’s (IRF) Sumatran Rhino
Conservation Program uses a three-pronged approach, incorporating protection
of surviving wild populations, managed breeding programs (especially
in sanctuaries located in native habitat), and education and outreach
programs to local communities. For many years, the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary
held only non-reproductive rhinos. With the advent of reliable reproduction
of this species using methods developed at the Cincinnati Zoo–and the
addition of two rescued, healthy young females–everything is in place
for a successful breeding program. This population of five rhinos is
integral as a research and insurance population for education and other
purposes.
Given their critically
endangered status, all of the project partners in the U.S. and Indonesia–including
the IRF, Yayasan Badak Indonesia (the Indonesian Rhino Foundation),
the Cincinnati Zoo, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, and the Cornell University
College of Veterinary Medicine–are working to learn as much as possible
about the Sumatran rhino–including their basic biology, disease risks
and food and habitat requirements. The five rhinos living at the Sanctuary
in Way Kambas National Park serve as ambassadors for their wild counterparts,
and provide important educational opportunities for local communities
and the general public. In the future, these rhinos could be a source
population for reintroductions once the threats to their survival have
been eliminated in their wild habitats. Project grants from the Columbus
Zoo help cover salaries for the Indonesian keepers at the Sanctuary.
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SIDEBAR:
The
Sumatran is the smallest of the five species of rhino (black, white, Indian,
Javan) with leathery skin covered in a coat of coarse, reddish brown hair.
Caked mud trapped in hairprotects the animals from insects and keeps them
cool. They spend days wallowing, move at night, and feed just before dawn
and after dusk using their prehensile upper lip to grab leaves, twigs,
shoots and fruit. In spite of their bulky appearance, Sumatran rhinos
are skilled climbers and swimmers. Females give birth to one calf after
a more than 15-month gestation period.
Because
of poaching for their horn, numbers have decreased more the 50% over
the last 15 years. Sumatran rhinos exist only in protected areas where
they are guarded from harm by Rhino Protection Units (RPUs).
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For
more information or to adopt a rhino at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary,
visit the IRF website at
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| Democratic
Republic of Congo |
In a Gown
of Velvet: Rising at 5:30am, the keepers enter the forest and
endure the onslaught of insects—stinging, biting and otherwise—to cut
leaves for hours in the tropical heat. It’s difficult work…chopping,
sorting, bundling, washing and hanging bunches of leaves on wires strung
across natural enclosures. The diet prep is only one aspect of the tender
loving care extended to the velvety beasts residing at the Okapi Conservation
Project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Said one Congolese
keeper; “I live for this work.”
The
Okapi Conservation Project is located within the Ituri Forest in the
DRC, the third largest country in Africa and the most biologically diverse
on the continent. The Ituri Forest covers 58,000 square miles of lowland
tropical forest and contains some of the most important closed canopy
rainforest and species diversity in the world. In recognition of the
importance of this unique ecosystem, which harbors high levels of endemism,
including a large population of okapi, the Okapi Wildlife Reserve was
gazetted in 1992, encompassing 5200 square miles. In 1996, it was designated
as a United Nation’s World Heritage Site.
Initiated
by the Florida-based Gillman International Conservation (GIC) in 1987,
the Okapi Conservation Project (OCP) elicits support for the conservation
of wild okapi from zoos throughout the world that exhibit the animals
for their visitors. The Columbus Zoo holds five okapi—two females and
three males. These ambassadors help instill awareness of the rapid destruction
of the tropical rainforests and generate financial support for the preservation
of okapi habitat in the Democratic Republic of Congo (the only country
in the world where wild okapi are found.) The Columbus Zoo provides
$5000 to the project each year, and in 2008, provided an additional
small grant for the production of an educational DVD.
The
OCP has significantly contributed to the establishment and security
of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve—an area of incredible diversity. The objective
is to develop an economic and educational base on which a functioning
okapi reserve can operate through programs such as agroforestry, conservation
education, bushmeat alternatives and assistance to the community—coupled
with direct support for the Institute in Congo for the Conservation
of Nature (ICCN) to protect the Okapi Wildlife Reserve. In addition
to protecting habitat for okapi, forest elephants, chimpanzees, forest
buffalo and a wide variety of birds, the reserve is home to the Mbuti
pygmies. They are among the few true forest people still living traditional
lifestyles. With men averaging 4 feet 8 inches and women 4 feet 6 inches,
they are the smallest people on earth—hunter-gatherers who dwell in
the deep forest. The continued presence of the Okapi Conservation Project
in the region and Gillman International’s role as the primary coordinator
and supporter of the Okapi Reserve has helped to provide stability for
the region and its people, even during the devastation and chaos of
a six-year-long civil war.Relative
peace has now returned to the DRC and the Okapi Wildlife Reserve. All
military are out of the Reserve and are being disarmed and disbanded.
During the war, the wildlife and people of the region suffered horrific
losses. Scores of elephants, primates and other wildlife were killed
by troops.
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Casualties among the local human inhabitants were high; homes, schools
and health clinics were looted and destroyed and people were in daily
fear for their lives. Yet throughout this terrible conflict, the Okapi
Conservation Project staff continued to provide daily care for the animals,
and no okapi were lost during the war. The project director and the
wardens have worked with steadfast devotion to bring the Okapi Reserve
back into full operation.
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SIDEBAR:
L’ Animal Unique,
The
“unique animal”—first described by scientists in 1901—remains largely
a mystery to the outside world. Described as “clean, in a gown of velvet”
by the keepers at the Okapi Conservation Project, the okapi (Okapia
johnstoni) is one of many endemic species (including bonobo and Congo
peafowl) found in the Democratic Republic of Congo and nowhere else
on earth. Sometimes called “forest giraffe”, okapi have become ambassadors
for all the species which share the Ituri Forest.
About the
size of a horse, okapi stand six feet at the head and five at the shoulder.
They weigh between 500 and 700 pounds and may live to 30 years of age.
Their exceptionally long tongue (14 to 18 inches) wraps around leaves
and branches, pulling in vegetation from more than 30 species of plants.
The stunningly
beautiful brown and white stripes on their rump and legs serve a practical
purpose, providing camouflage for the animal amidst the broken streams
of sunlight filtering through the forest canopy.
Born with the same
color patterns, the calves are little versions of the adults. To avoid
leopards, they stay in one place on a “nest” for the first six to nine
weeks of their life; much longer than calves of other species.
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Brevard Zoo
Contact: Michelle Smurl, Director of Animal Programs
From 2001 through 2009 –over $300,000 was allocated to support field
projects
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Fever Fuels Conservation at PASA Sanctuaries
While the FIFA World Cup
currently underway in South Africa focuses international attention on
soccer, the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA) has discovered that
soccer can also focus international attention on conservation.
The PASA Soccer Project,
a pioneering program that uses youth soccer to promote messages of wildlife
protection, is flourishing at PASA member sanctuaries across Africa.
Children in Nigeria, Cameroon, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa and seven
other nations are literally playing in support of chimpanzees, gorillas
and the other endangered primates on their uniforms.
The PASA Soccer Project requires
each PASA member sanctuary to adopt a local youth team, then furnish
them with free uniforms and equipment. What’s the catch? Each uniform
comes with clear conservation messages in a local language, and requires
both players and supporters to take part in conservation workshops and
activities.
Surveys conducted with participants
of the PASA Soccer Project are being analyzed, but initial returns indicate
a dramatic rise in conservation awareness and support.
The PASA Soccer Project is
the brainchild of PASA board member Beth Armstrong, the former conservation
director of the Brevard Zoo in Florida, USA, who spent years trying
to find a way to utilize the world’s most popular sport – soccer – on
behalf of wildlife.
“The Brevard Zoo and PASA
had been experimenting with novel ideas on culturally relevant ways
to discuss the topic of the bushmeat trade, and we always thought soccer
had such potential as a vehicle for creating conservation awareness,"
Armstrong said. "Our hope was to elicit excitement and dialogue
about what children can do to protect the primate mascot on their uniforms
-- and therefore their habitat -- and that appears to have happened."
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The PASA Soccer Project was
underwritten by a grant from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, in
association with the Brevard Zoo, Conservation International, and Eques
Inc.
The PASA Soccer Project workshops
have drawn large crowds, and the early results indicate that participants
show an increased knowledge of primates, biodiversity and conservation.
In Cameroon, for instance, only 10 percent of respondents could correctly
identify the major threats to gorillas in the wild. But after the PASA
Soccer Project workshop, the number of correct answers jumped to 66.7
percent.
“We are extremely encouraged
by the initial results of this project,” said Doug Cress, executive
director of PASA. “There’s no question that soccer can capture the attention
of children in Africa – the only question was whether the sport could
also be used as a learning tool to help protect primates. We have every
reason to believe that it can.”
Part of the success of the
PASA Soccer Project comes through working with the education officers
at PASA member sanctuaries to select appropriate primate mascots for
each team. The educators also design the messages for the jerseys and
posters. In Gambia, the soccer uniforms feature the face of a chimpanzee
with the words: “Gambia Is Our Home Too.” In Nigeria, a guenon monkey
accompanies the words, “Use the Environment Wisely for Future Generations.”
In Cameroon, the Limbe Wildlife
Center chose a drill monkey for the mascot with a message in Pidgin
English that states, “Wuna No Chop Dis Kind Bushbeef for Dem Go Finish
Small Time.”
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PASA is comprised
of 18 member sanctuaries in 12 countries, which rescue and rehabilitate
chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos, drills, and other endangered primates.
To support PASA’s work, please donate via the PASA website or by mail
to: PASA, P.O. Box 86645, Portland, Oregon, 97206. USA
For more information,
please visit the PASA website,
Facebook page or Twitter.
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Houston
Zoo
Contact: Peter Riger, Director of Conservation
Houston Zoo allocated $750,000 to field support programs in 2009
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Borneo’s
Elephants
The Houston Zoo continues to support the first field study into the
social structure and herd movement of the Bornean Elephant. The Bornean
elephant has recently been confirmed as a separate taxon, dramatically
increasing its importance in terms of biodiversity. It is estimated
that 1,200-1,500 elephants survive in Borneo, mainly in the eastern
state of Sabah.
Critical support
for Satellite tracking and social behavior of the Bornean elephant in
the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary will assist the Sabah Wildlife
Department in defining suitable corridors to connect fragmented habitats
to help protect this species.
Field researcher
and PhD student Nurzhafarina Othman’s long-term focus is on the distribution
and movement of the elephants, their mating system and dispersal, genetic
differentiation between populations, and threats to genetic diversity
due to habitat fragmentation.
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El Valle Amphibian
Conservation Center – Panama
Amphibians across the globe are going extinct. Emerging infectious disease,
climate change, habitat loss, and invasive species all play a role in
the decimation of amphibian communities and, where possible, in situ measures
are being implemented to halt the loss of these groups in the wild. Some
threats, however, cannot be stopped in the wild and under these circumstances
there are few options other than rapidly establishing emergency ex situ
populations to prevent extinction. The primary reason for this is the
amphibian chytrid fungus, which is creeping around the globe causing an
increasing loss of biodiversity. In 2005, the Houston Zoo, along with
the support of many partner institutions and organizations, began construction
of the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center (EVACC) in the mountain
town of western central Panama. Soon there after, amphibian chytrid arrived
in the area. The exhibition area showcases the amphibian biodiversity
of the El Valle de Anton region and features a large Panamanian Golden
Frog exhibit. |
Although the golden
frog is featured prominently in Panamanian folklore, it is potentially
extinct in the wild. We are managing ten distinct species in this facility
where they are being bred and maintained. The hope is to be able to
reintroduce them into the wild in the future once scientists figure
out how to eliminate chytrid from their natural habitat. Recently, we
partnered with the Smithsonian Institute’s National Zoo and several
others to create a new amphibian conservation facility at the summit
zoo in Panama City.
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Oregon Zoo
Anne Warner, Conservation Manager
In fiscal year 2009-2010, the Oregon Zoo supported 34 conservation projects
in 15 countries, totaling $117,811.38.
Unsolicited grant proposals accepted through the Future for Wildlife
Program.
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Website
www.oregonzoo.org/Conservation/index.htm
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California
Condor Recovery Program
Rearing and Releasing an Almost-Lost Species
In Oregon, Lewis and Clark were awestruck by one bird: the California
condor. With its nearly 10-foot-long wingspan- the largest wingspan
of any bird- and intelligent behavior, they were rightly fascinated.
As settlers moved in, development began, and environmental hazards increased,
the great birds began to die off. The last sighting of the California
condor in Oregon was in 1904, and by 1987 only 27 birds existed in the
wild anywhere. Condors may once again fly free in Oregon, thanks to
the California Condor Recovery Program. In 2003, the Oregon Zoo became
the program’s fourth condor breeding facility when 12 of the birds were
sent to its California condor conservation center. In a remote area
with enough space for 32 pairs of adult birds, the Oregon Zoo’s breeding
facility is one of only four in the country and one of the most successful
endangered species recovery efforts. In 2004, the first condor chick
on record to be hatched in Oregon was hatched at the Oregon Zoo's breeding
facility. The zoo has already helped produce and rear chicks that have
been released into the wild, and the total California condor population
has increased to several hundred. With each new egg, hatchling, fledged
chick, and released bird, there is greater hope for this wondrous bird.
Grant funds from the Oregon Zoo’s Future for Wildlife program have supported
investigations into the condor’s historic range in Oregon as well as
a study of contaminant levels found in condor food sources such as the
California sea lion. Conducting research on the suitability of condor
habitat in its historic range is critical for the success of any future
condor reintroduction plan in Oregon.
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Kasese
Wildlife Conservation Awareness Organization
Bringing Conservation Education to Ugandan Students
Asaba
Mukobi grew up in Bwera, Kasese District, in Western Uganda, and despite
being a mere 20 minutes away from Queen Elizabeth National Park, he
never had the opportunity to see the wild animals in the park, or learn
about them. In 2002 Mukobi established the Kasese Wildlife Conservation
Awareness Organization with the goal of bringing conservation education
to school children in Kasese, Uganda. KWCAO helps school children see
wildlife in a new perspective. The traditional view focuses on wildlife
as a source of meat, crop destroyers, and a source of income through
poaching. By incorporating videos, photographs, and hands-on activities
such as activity sheets, animal puppets, and wildlife trading cards
with descriptions of each animal, KWCAO helps students learn about wildlife
conservation and appreciate the animals in nearby Queen Elizabeth National
Park. The students at participating schools are encouraged to start
wildlife clubs and create wildlife projects to implement in their communities,
such as tree planting, and participate in various wildlife debates and
competitions. The students in these wildlife clubs demonstrate an awareness
and Mukobi works closely with a board in Uganda as well as a thirteen-member
team of field coordinators. The Zoo funds field trips for local students
to the National Park, school supplies, teaching props, and the organization’s
travel throughout the Kasese district. Mukobi nearly doubled his yearly
school-visitation average in 2006, reaching over 90 schools.
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Chester
Zoo
(NEZS)
Contact: Dr Roger Wilkinson, Head of Field Conservation and Research
In 2009, Chester Zoo provided over £400,000 in conservation support
for projects and programmes in over 40 countries worldwide
For details of how to apply for a conservation and research grant, please
see the conservation pages of our website
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The Assam Haathi Project
is a community-based approach to helping people in Assam (Northeast
India) live safely alongside wild elephants. Assam provides one of the
last remaining strongholds of the endangered Asian elephant. However,
the expansion of agriculture and increasing demand for land rights is
fragmenting elephant habitat which is ultimately a serious threat to
the survival of elephants. As a consequence, elephants increasingly
venture into agricultural areas in search of food, and perhaps in following
traditional migration routes. The conflict that ensues is unsustainable
both for the survival of elephants and the livelihoods of local communities.
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Two
conservation organizations, the UK-based Chester Zoo and Assam-based EcoSystems-India
are working together to find ways to make the co-existence of elephants
and people possible. The Assam Haathi Project (haathi is the Hindi and
Assamese word for elephant) focuses on the following approaches to mitigating
human-elephant conflict thereby facilitating the conservation of elephants
in Assam:
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*Community-based
elephant conflict mitigation - assisting communities in developing
effective, non-harmful elephant damage control measures
*Elephant monitoring and research - following the movements
of elephant herds and studying their behaviour, nutritional needs and
analyzing patterns using Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
*Conservation collaboration - bringing together conservation
groups and government agencies working on elephant conservation in Assam,
to implement a long-term strategy for habitat protection and land-use
planning
 
Ele
& people in tea garden - Electric fence installation CREDIT Assam
Haathi Project
For more information
on the project, please visit www.assamhaathiproject.org
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For
more information please email
info@zaccconference.com
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